Digital platform improves child health equity – study suggests

eHealthNews.nz: National Systems & Strategy

Digital platform improves child health equity – study suggests

Monday, 27 May 2024

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NEWS - eHealthNews.nz editor Rebecca McBeth

More than 230,000 tamariki are enrolled in the National Child Health Information Platform (NCHIP) across the Northern region and a new study indicates its use was associated with a pro-equity impact during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The digital platform draws together child demographic information, including ethnicity and deprivation level, alongside health-care milestone data, to create a unified view.

It is used to identify children lagging behind in health milestones and now covers most children up to age six living in Te Tai Tokerau Northland, Waitematā and Te Toka Tumai Auckland, with less than one percent of parents opting out.

A recent paper published in the Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health says use of the system in the Northern region was associated with a pro-equity impact during the Covid-19 pandemic.

In New Zealand, children are eligible for 30 child health milestone checks between birth and six years.

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The new research looked at achievement of four milestones covering GP enrolment, breastfeeding, immunisations, and receiving core contacts, in March 2018 compared to March 2021.

“During COVID, 8-month immunisation coverage dropped generally. However, our initial data points before and after the rollout suggest that the reduction was less in areas with NCHIP, particularly noted in the Māori subgroup,” the paper says.

“Furthermore, within the Māori subgroup, we found a significant increase in the rates of GP enrolment in the NCHIP areas compared with non-NCHIP areas.”

Study co-author and paediatrician Timothy Jelleyman says the study suggests that NCHIP mitigated the impact of Covid-19 on some key child health milestones.

“The study is an early indication of population benefit that prompts further research,” he says.

More than three years on from going live the platform, it has a wealth of information about children in the region that he can refer to in clinic.

“It tells me what has been done for the child in terms of the key milestones and I can build from that to have a very informed positive clinical conversation,” he says.

“It frees up time from administrative processes so clinicians can spend more time having conversations with patients and whānau. I have more time and better information at the point of care.”

Jelleyman, who is clinical sponsor for NCHIP, says it is particularly useful in the Gateway Clinic where he sees children under the care of Oranga Tamariki. These children have often moved residence a number of times, but he can now easily see any checks they are missing.

The system also tells him about the other people in the child’s ‘circle of care’ – which is useful for sharing information with people outside of hospital.

A number of other organisations can access NCHIP including Plunket Whānau Āwhina, Hauora Hokianga and Ngāti Whātua o Ōrākei Health Clinic.

Whānau Āwhina Plunket nursing informatics consultant Jayne Burch says the organisation has been supporting the platform since 2016, and the NCHIP platform is currently a key component in supporting equitable access and outcomes for tamariki in our Northern region.

"Valuable information is currently held in silos and this limits opportunity for a national approach for ensuring equity of outcomes for tamariki in Aotearoa," she says.

"We here at Whānau Āwhina are supportive of any efforts towards the development of a national child health platform which would support progress towards equitable options for whānau and all tamariki and their whānau having access to the support services they need to reach their key milestones."